President Clinton announced today that he intends to
nominate Columbia University professor Karin Lissakers to be the
U.S. Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund. The
executive director represents the United States on the 24-member
board of executive directors, which sets policy for the IMF.

"As the largest shareholder in the IMF, the United States
has a special responsibility for its operations," said the
President. "Karen Lissakers has proven that she is up to the
task of representing our interests. I am confident that she will
shine in this position."

Lissakers, 49, currently is Director of the International
Business and Banking program at Columbia University's School of
International and Public Affairs. She has been teaching at
Columbia since 1985. During the Carter Administration, Lissakers
was deputy director of the Policy Planning Staff at the State
Department. Before that, she was staff director of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee's subcommittee on foreign policy.

Born in Sweeden, Lissakers graduated from Ohio State
University in 1967 and earned a Masters in International Affairs
from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced
International Studies in 1969. She is married to the writer
Martin Mayer. They have two children.